001 - Every time that I wake it's like I only wake into a dream

[want_take_have]

[she dreamt of a picnic.

Mayor Wilkins was there. Happy. Whole. Cracking his stupid, corny jokes that should have made her roll her eyes...except they didn't. There was a nagging sense of deja vu, like she'd seen this before and it hadn't ended well, but they finished their meal and he talked with her and...nothing happened. It was perfect.

She was content enough that she laid back on the grass and closed her eyes, just enjoying the breeze against her face and the fact that, for once, she didn't have to be on edge.

When she woke, she could still feel the hint of that breeze. An illusion, of course. Something left over from her imagination, because you didn't get wind in prison cells. She kept her eyes closed though, trying to pretend, because she wasn't quite ready to let it go...except there was a dull ache between her shoulder blades that wouldn't let her fully relax. Finally, she swore, grit her teeth, and opened her eyes-





...And stared.

It takes a few minutes of quietly freaking out before she finds the journal, and a few more before she gets ahold of herself enough to attempt to use it. She was from Sunnydale...She could handle screwed up. She'd figure it out as she went. Right?

When she actually speaks, she sounds pretty chill, especially to anyone who doesn't know what she sounds like when she's wigged.]

So...not saying I totally buy the whole "this is real" thing, 'cause this is all kinds of messed up...but pretending I did...where's a girl gotta go to get a hard drink around here?

[because she really, really needed one]

Comments

1/eh

[jewitch]

...

2/eh

[jewitch]

[Huh.]

3/3!!!

[jewitch]

[And here she was, just recently being so happy that the Malnosso had released her.

Silly her.

Well, she was about to go find Buffy anyway. In the meantime, she'll offer an extremely awkward piece of half-hearted, drowsy advice.]

Good Spirits.

[Yes, direct her to the Slayer's place of employment. Buffy will know what to do.]

[want_take_have]

[worst nightmare. This totally was her worst nightmare yet]

[...swallowing hard] ...Red?

[jewitch]

Faith. [There is nothing friendly in that tone. Nothing whatsoever.

Still...any anger she feels is mostly being directed at her former kidnappers, and frankly? She's too tired to rip into the other Slayer.

So, she'll make dry remarks instead.]

Welcome to paradise. [And she's just so happy Faith is here to share it with her, can't you tell?]

[want_take_have]

[well...she can't say she was too surprised by the less-than-happy welcome]

...kinda screwed up on the perfect part.

[oddly enough, she's not making any attempt to intimidate or even shrug off the witch]

[jewitch]

[Well, Faith's response was definitely...more neutral than she was expecting. Lowering her guard the teensiest bit, mostly because this conversation is only happening via journals. Also she's trying to scramble to get a hold of Buffy at the same time.]

Oh, I don't know. I just got back from an all-expenses-paid trip to a Malnosso holding cell. You haven't really lived until you've been hauled off to an evil lair by robots and experimented on, ya know?

[want_take_have]

Malnosso...?

[she's parroting, and feeling foolish. It'll lead to defensiveness, soon, because Faith can only handle uncertainty and guilt for so long before she has to do something. But for now, she waivers somewhere in between, trying to understand and trying to figure out where she stands in relation to Buffy and Willow and whoever the hell else is in this place.

...It'd be just her luck to have the whole gang back together]

[jewitch]

Our friendly neighborhood kidnappers.

Turns out, they like to bring people in for some extra-special alone time.

[want_take_have]

Kinky.

[okay. Maybe she's not entirely meek and reformed. At least she doesn't sound amused about it?]

[jewitch]

Yep. Real good time. [She was also remembering less and less of said adventure by the minute...but doesn't feel inclined to let Faith in on this small amount of vulnerability.]

Anyway, I'm back. Buffy's here, too. [The warning isn't explicit, but it's there. By now Willow has gone through all of Faith's other replies and seen the slayer was...attempting to handle the situation, at least.]

[want_take_have]

....Yeah. I noticed.

[there's something bitter there, but it lacks the fire she would have had before.]

[jewitch]

[She does notice Faith's...what? Lack of anger? Lack of something.]

...You okay?

[She immediately regrets asking, because stupid question, Will. She's just been brought here, after all.]

I mean...considering. Find any tour guides yet?

[want_take_have]

Five by five.

[bet you missed that, huh?]

Town's just full of boyscouts, apparently.

[she can't help feeling uneasy as she says it, though. Willow being nice isn't really a reality she's ready to accept]

[jewitch]

[Oh yes. So much.]

Yeah. I guess when we're all in the same boat, boyscouting sort of...comes naturally.

[Except in this particular case, when Willow's still pretty dubious and awkward.]

[want_take_have]

And they've got you and Buff leadin' the pack.

[it's not anger, really, but there is jealousy. At least a little]

[jewitch]

Well I'm not really... [No, she doesn't finish that sentence. This is Faith, and she always did tend to think in terms of what Buffy had that she didn't.

So she'll finish lamely with:] I've only been here a couple months.

[want_take_have]

Couple of months. [she makes a small, considering sound in the back of her throat] Woulda figured B would find a way out of here by then.

[jewitch]

...We're working on it. [She echoes the response Buffy gave her during her own expository Q&A. Mostly because Buffy is her friend and how dare anyone else criticize her! And also because she repeatedly reminds herself of that fact due to her own misgivings about Buffy's length of time here and what that implies about any possible escape routes.]

[want_take_have]

Yeah. Right. 'Course you are.

[she clears her throat. This would be a great time for an apology. Or an explanation. Or...something. But she's got nothing. So, instead, she changes the subject]

Guess you guys are probably all comfy somewhere in town, right?

[jewitch]

[Her eyes narrow at the other Slayer's response, and they stay narrowed at her next question.

Not to be rude, but she isn't exactly eager to tell Faith where she lives.]

Somewhere in town, yeah. [Not like she wouldn't just find out anyways, but hey. She's not feeling friendly over here.]

[want_take_have]

[Oh yeah. She knew this dance. Buffy's got a party and she's not invited.

Of course, that's mostly what she's going for, right now]

Hey, don't sweat it. I'm not lookin' for a place to crash.